Cuff for a glove, bag or the like, for manipulation inside sealed enclosures

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an end cuff for a flexible glove or the like as used to give access to the interior of enclosures and which may form the extension of the sleeve of a protective suit. The construction of the cuff facilitates the replacement of the glove without breaking the sealed conditions. The cuff comprises a circular end bead and a body portion which extends away from the bead towards the fingers of the glove. An annular portion connecting the bead and the body has an abrupt and considerable increase in diameter after the bead followed by a narrowing portion before joining the body of the glove. The construction of the annular portion is such that in section the increase in diameter forms a rounded open apex angle which in the preferred embodiment is substantially 90*.

United States Patent [191 Segonzac et a1.

[ CUFF FOR A GLOVE, BAG OR THE LIKE,

FOR MANIPULATION INSIDE SEALED ENCLOSURES [75] Inventors: Jean-Michel Segonzac,

Bois-Colombes; Jean-Marie Lucas, Paris, both of France [73] Assignee: La Calhene and Piercan S.A., Paris,

France [22] Filed: Aug. 7, 1973 [21 Appl. No.: 386,356

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 10, 1972 France 72.28963 [52] US. Cl. 2/270 [51] Int. Cl A4ld 27/10 [58] Field of Search 2/270, 162, 170; 312/1;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,642,577 9/1927 Carson 312/1 3,084,684 4/1963 Saunders 2/270 X [111 3,811,132 [451 May 21, 1974 3,099,015 7/1963 Renehan 128/1 R X 3,140,495 7/1964 Gottwik 2/270 3,237,821 3/1966 Hayne et al.. 2/270 X 3,356,254 12/1967 Becker 2/270 X Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention relates to an end cuff for a flexible glove or the like as used to give access to the interior of enclosures and which may form the extension of the sleeve of a protective suit. The construction of the cuff facilitates the replacement of the glove without breaking the sealed conditions.

The cuff comprises a circular end bead and a body portion which extends away from the bead towards the fingers of the glove. An annular portion connecting the bead and the body has an abrupt and considerable increase in diameter after the bead followed by a narrowing portion before joining the body of the glove. The construction of the annular portion is such that in section the increase in diameter forms a rounded open apex angle which in the preferred embodiment is substantially 90.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmm m4 v sum 1 or 2 CUFF FOR A GLOVE, BAG OR THE LIKE, FOR MANIPULATION INSIDE SEALED ENCLOSURES This invention relates to an end cuff for a flexible glove, sealed bag, mitten or the like, as used to give access to the interior of enclosures, more particularly although not exclusively of the kind shown as glove boxes in laboratories in the pharmaceutical, chemical or nuclear industries, or which forms the extension of the sleeve of a protective or safety suit or a sealed suit worn by an operator who partially or totally enters a closed space. Hereinafter, reference will be made generally to a sealed glove, although the features according to the invention are equally applicable to the other elements mentioned above.

In conventional solutions, the cuffs of such gloves are fitted by a circular end bead to a support which, depending upon circumstances, forms either a cylindrical ring connected to the wall of the glove box, or an armband secured to the end of the sleeve of the safety, protective or sealed suit.

In devices of this kind it is, of course, necessary to provide means whereby, in the event of weakness or likelihood of breakage of a glove borne by its support, said glove can be withdrawn either to the interior if the enclosure is at negative pressure or to the exterior if the enclosure is at positive pressure or to exterior via the interior of the safety suit after it has been replaced by a new glove which may be the same or different, or by a similar or different member, for example a glove being replaced by a bag or the like, and this operation must be possible without breaking the seal. A known solution for this change is to connect the new glove by its end bead to a relatively flexible ring, for example of polyethylene, with a diameter greater than that of the support, so that it can fit over the latter, and then introduce the glove for replacement outside the new glove. The latter can then be ejected from the ring so that it fits on the support with its end bead behind the bead of the used glove. An axial force exerted on the latter then enables this glove to be removed from the support, its bead being released, so that the new glove can slip over the support in order finally to occupy the place of the glove which has just been withdrawn, without the seal having been broken at any time.

In practice, however, it is very difficult to carry out the above operations. With conventional gloves made of natural or synthetic latex or a plastic, more particularly polyvinyl chloride, the end beads of the new glove and of the used glove are formed directly at the end of the glove cufi', which is of substantially cylindrical shape of constant section or preferably of a section which decreases slightly as far as the glove fingers. Before expulsion of the used glove the sequence of operations makes it necessary for the new glove to be preliminarily put into position just behind the used glove, so that the cuffs of these two gloves are under tension on their supports which are in contact with one another over some length, so that the considerable friction of these cuffs results in the used glove being locked by the new glove and vice versa. Removal of the used glove is then very difficult if not impossible, and is likely to result at the same time in removal of the new glove with an immediate breakage of the seal.

This invention relates to a new sealed glove cuff to obviate this disadvantage.

To this end, a cuff for a glove, bag, mitten or the like, comprising a circular end bead and a body extending away from the bead, is characterised in that it comprises an annular portion providing the connection between the bead and the body, said portion having an abrupt and considerable increase in diameter after the bead followed by a narrowing before joining the body of the glove or the like.

Preferably, the annular portion is in the form of a corrugated bellows which in a sectional plane through the bead axis forms a rounded open apex angle, one side of which is connected to the bead and the other to the body of the glove or the like.

With these features, a wrenching force applied to the used glove enables its end head to be released over a rim provided at the end of the support, with simultaneous deformation of the cuff which, under these conditions, forms a substantially flat angle and this prevents any contact between the cuff and the cuff of the new glove which has just been fitted over it. This obviates the disadvantage of the prior art solutions and enables the glove to be replaced without any danger of breaking the seal.

Advantageously, an outer clamping means after the style of a ring, clip or the like normally locks the cuff in position on its support, said means being disposed at a the connection between the bead and the cuff.

Other features of a glove or similar cuff according to the invention will be apparent from the following de scription of one embodiment given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation and partial section of a glove provided with a cuff according to the invention, the cuff being shown fitted to a supporting annband, and with a ring whereby the glove can be replaced by another glove.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are partial details of FIG. 1 showing the operations required for replacing a glove by another glove without breaking the seal.

Referring to FIG. 1, reference 1 denotes a manipulating glove whereby work can be carried out inside any sealed enclosure. In this example, the glove is home by a support 2 in the form of an annular armband, which is also used for securing a sleeve 3 at the end remote from the glove 1, the sleeve being part of a protective suit or a garment adapted to be worn by an operator having access to the interior of the enclosure. The sleeve 3 is held fixed in relation to the armband 2 by means of an end head 4 fitted in a groove 5 formed in the armband, while at the other end it is connected by a second bead 6 to a rim 7 forming part of the wall 8 of the enclosure. Beyond the head 4 on the armband 2, the sleeve 3 also comprises a cylindrical tongue 9 which can be stuck against the armband by means of a tape 10 or by any other similar element providing a seal between the sleeve and the armband. The glove 1 is fitted on the armband in a substantially similar way by means of a circular bead 12 formed at the end of the glove 1 remote from the actual body of the glove 13, the glove body terminating in the fingers 14.

According to the invention, and in the embodiment under particular consideration, the connection between the end bead l2 and the glove body 13 is formed by a cuff 15 in the form of a corrugated bellows which, when viewed in the sectional plane of the figure through the axis of the armband 2, bounds a rounded apex angle which in the case under consideration is means 19, e.g., an outer clip or ring.

FIG. 1 also illustrates a cylindrical interchangeability ring 20 mounted inside the enclosure and shown as being fitted to the wall 8 thereof so that the glove 1 can be replaced, as will be described hereinafter, by a glove la which may be the same or different. To this end, the glove la like the glove 1 comprises an end bead 12a fitted on the outer surface 21 of the ring 20 and abutting a rim 22 thereof. The ring 20 also has notches 23 so that the bead 12a can be reached from outside and, in particular, so that it can be released from the rim 22.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the sequence of operations required to replace the glove 1, which is assumed to have been used, by a new glove 111. To this end, as shown in FIG. 2, in a first stage, the armband 2 bearing the glove 1 is surrounded on the outside by the annular ring 20 provided with the glove la. The glove 1' which is to be replaced is advantageously turned inside out so that it comes inside the sleeve 3, i.e., outside the sealed enclosure, by the application of a tractive force to the glove whereby the part of the glove is at least partially flattened. In the next stage, the clamping ring 19 of the glove is withdrawn while the bead 12a of the glove 1a is released from the rim 22 of the ring by means of the notches 23 therein, so that the bead 12a assumes its position on the armband 2 immediately behind the bead 12 of the glove 1. In FIG. 2 the two positions of the glove 1a are respectively shown in broken and solid lines. In the second position it will be apparent that the particular shape of the cuffs 15 and 15a of the two gloves 1 and 1a is such that, according to the invention, their sides 16 and 16a are not in direct contact, the preliminary tractive force exerted on the glove 1 also being taken into account. The ring can then be withdrawn and the outer clamping ring or clip 19 can'then be fitted to lock the bead 12a of the glove la on the armband 2. In the next stage, which comprises the removal of the glove 1 by releasing its bead 12 from the rim of the armband 2, a fresh tractive force is exerted at any point of the bead, which can then easily pass over the rim 18 without the cuff 15a of the glove 1a placed above the glove 1 in any way obstructing this operation. FIG. 3 shows how final withdrawal of the used glove 1 is carried out, the new glove 1a finally assuming its initial position by sliding over the armband 2 with the clip or ring 19.

The glove cuff or the like according to the invention thus enables one glove to be replaced by another without any risk of breaking the seal, and the specific shape of the cuff may undergo numerous variations which can be produced when the glove is actually manufactured by any conventional moulding or forming process.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment more specifically described and illustrated; on the contrary, it covers all other possible modifications within the scope of the invention. More particularly,

the features of the invention obviously apply similarly if the glove bead support is formed simply by a glove arm connected to the wall of the enclosure and not by an end armband of a safety suit sleeve. Also, the operations described are applicable from either the outside or the inside of the enclosure whether the latter is at positive or negative pressure.

We claim:

1. A cuff for a glove, bag, mitten or the like, for manipulation inside enclosures, comprising a circular end bead and a body extending away from the bead, said cuff being characterised by an annular portion providing the connection between the bead and the body, said portion having an abrupt and considerable increase in diameter after the bead followed by a narrowing before joining the body of the glove or the like.

2. A glove cuff according to claim 1, characterised in that the annular portion is in the form of a corrugated bellows which in a sectional plane through the bead axis forms a rounded open apex angle, one side of which is connected to the bead and the other to the body of the glove or the like.

3. A glove cuff according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises an outer clamping ring which locks the cuff on its support, the ring being disposed at the connection between the bead and the cuff.

4. A glove cuff according to claim 2, characterised in that its angle is substantially 

1. A cuff for a glove, bag, mitten or the like, for manipulation inside enclosures, comprising a circular end bead and a body extending away from the bead, said cuff being characterised by an annular portion providing the connection between the bead and the body, said portion having an abrupt and considerable increase in diameter after the bead followed by a narrowing before joining the body of the glove or the like.
 2. A glove cuff according to claim 1, characterised in that the annular portion is in the form of a corrugated bellows which in a sectional plane through the bead axis forms a rounded open apex angle, one side of which is connected to the bead and the other to the body of the glove or the like.
 3. A glove cuff according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises an outer clamping ring which locks the cuff on its support, the ring being disposed at the connection between the bead and the cuff.
 4. A glove cuff according to claim 2, characterised in that its angle is substantially 90* . 